Man wants to clear his name in girlfriend’s death

OKLAHOMA CITY – A metro man is speaking out for the first time since his girlfriend’s death.

Mareal Simmons says he is still mourning the loss of his girlfriend Maria Gonzalez.

Gonzalez collapsed while the couple was having an argument.

Simmons said, “When I looked back at her, it’s like she took a deep breath and she froze, and when she froze she fell down to her knees, and when she fell to her knees she fell face forward and started shaking.”

He said her oldest son called 911 while he and a neighbor performed CPR.

Simmons said, “I haven’t seen her since that day. Her family, they blame me.”

He says he wasn’t invited to the funeral.

Simmons said he wanted to clear his name. He does not want people to think he is responsible for his girlfriend’s death.

He said, “They’re slandering my name. They’re putting everything out there as if I killed her and I didn’t and I’m hurting right now. I’m sad, I get depressed at times. Like I said that was my best friend and she’s gone.”

Gonzalez was 8 weeks pregnant with the couple’s newest child. They also have a ten month old baby girl.

The autopsy report says Gonzalez died because of a medical condition–likely heart disease.

Simmons was not charged with a crime or any wrong doing.

He says he does feel guilty about the argument because it was the last time they spoke.

Simmons said, “In a way I kind of take a little bit of that blame.”

He wants her to be remembered as a loving mother and a companion he expected to have for a lifetime.

He said, “She was special to me. It was somebody that I never thought that I would meet in my lifetime. She was happy. She would do anything for anybody. She had a big heart, really she did.”